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Concord CEO reportedly resigns as game’s return remains uncertain
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Concord CEO reportedly resigns as game’s return remains uncertain

Concord’s game director is reportedly stepping down as no decision has been made about the game’s future.

According to Kotaku, Ryan Ellis told Firewalk Studios staff last week that he would no longer be serving as game director for Concord, but would instead be taking on a supporting role.

The publication, citing three sources familiar with the move, says Ellis was emotional when he first spoke to staff after the game’s launch, when it was clear it would be a major failure.

“Ryan was a huge believer in that project and bringing players together through the joy that it brought,” a former developer told Kotaku. “Regardless of the things that could have been done differently during development, he’s a good person and a big heart.”

Earlier this month, Sony announced that they were taking Concord offline, removing the game from sale and refunding all players who purchased the game, just two weeks after its launch.

The news follows reports that the PS5 and PC game may have sold just 25,000 copies across both platforms since its August 23 release.

“Concord fans, we’ve been listening intently to your feedback since Concord launched on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who joined the journey aboard the Northstar,” Ellis said at the time.

“Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game have meant the world to us. While many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t pan out as we intended.

Concord CEO reportedly resigns as game's return remains uncertain

“As a result, we’ve decided to take the game offline as of September 6, 2024, and explore options, including ones that better reach our players. While we determine the best path forward, sales of Concord will cease immediately and we will begin offering full refunds to all gamers who purchased the game on PS5 or PC.”

It’s not yet clear what the future of Concord will hold, nor whether Firewalk will continue to lead the game’s development.

Despite its failure, Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming animated series Secret Level will reportedly retain the Concord-based episode and not remove it from its lineup.